If you love me, dilly, dilly, I will love you…

This March has been a busy month for me, but also a rather fulfilling one.
I went to see two movies. While both were not exactly outstanding. they were certainly worth watching.

The first is “Kingsman: The Secret Service.”

This is not a movie I would go if I were to choose my self, but a friend of mine recommended it with a rather raving enthusiasm, saying it was ‘packed with action’ and ‘funny’.

And boy, it sure was.

I was about ten minutes late, but I was drawn to the story immediately.

I had mentioned before that while I love books by British authors, British movies rarely entertain me as much. When it comes to bring the much loved book scenes to the screen, I just prefer Hollywood style. This applies to “Harry Potter” and “Paddington”. I kept thinking that if only J.K. Rowling left the movie production to Hollywood, it’ll be much better. Maybe, there are good British movies as well, but they are not the genre I would watch, hence my lack of appreciation.

“Kingsman” might be the first British movie that I found to be just as exciting.

I love the setting about young spy training. It reminds me of Enid Blyton’s detective series, which I loved in my childhood.

Eggsy, the main character, was portrayed as living by doing odd jobs and often involved with criminals at the begining. While I can sympathize with Eggsy’s reasons, I also understand Harry Hart’s, a Kingsman’s senior agent, dismay when he discovered about Eggsy’s aimless life.

When he took Eggsy under his wing and introduced the world of Spy Agency Kingsman, it was as if Eggy’s eyes were opened to the whole new world. It was pretty much like Harry Potter when he first learned about the magical world. And from there, Eggsy’s excitement also became mine.

I felt Eggy’s butterfly and building determination when facing challenging tasks in the process of Kingsman’s recruitment, got the same wonder when discovering sophisticated weapons the Secret Service is using.

I think the main villain, Richmond Valentine, is meh, but his henchwoman, Gazelle, is super cool.

“Kingsman” deserve special mention as a memorable movie even if only for Gazelle’s legs XD

Unfortunately, after initially pretty much taken by the lively and fast paced scenes, I found some final parts to be rather inconsistent to the rest of the story. The fighting scenes can be somewhat gruesome, yes, and some aspects might not make any sense. But that didn’t disturb the plausibility of the story. When you watched a movie, you must always remember that it is a fiction after all, so some things might be far fetched. But the portrayal of Valentine’s supporters demolition towards the end was so comical, compared to the ‘real world’ tone the movie was delivering (almost) throughout, it’s as if you suddenly watched a completely different movie. Eggsy’s implicit rendezvous with the Sweden Princess also switched the atmosphere abruptly, from world saving superhero movie to everyday television sitcom.

It is regrettable the disruption of the flow happened only at the end,otherwise I would have given this story a full mark. On the whole, I deemed it worth my one and half hours, but the ending parts were so crude I wouldn’t recommend anybody to watch it.

Score: 7.5/10

The other movie is “Cinderella.”

I have been waiting to watch Cinderella ever since I saw the trailer. I was curious about how Disney would turn the much beloved animation to a real live movie, and I must say that the result is not disappointing.

In reverse to “Kingsman”, “Cinderella” didn’t start too impressive. The depiction of Ella’s childhood with her perfect family was too fairy tale like, old fashioned and a bit boring to my taste. The story took a more interesting turn once the step mother and the step sisters came. They added flavor, and suddenly I notice how well suited the whole cast‘s outfits to the story’s setting, and how beautiful and proper Ella’s house was as a middle class residence in a modest town. Everything just blended smoothly to create this lovely, fitting background to a love story with a touch of magic.

Everyone did a great job portraying their character.

I think Lily James does have a sweet, innocent air about her, perfect for the sweet tempered Cinderella.

Cate Blanchet demonstrated yet another unexplored side of her fine acting skill, as did Sophie McShera and Holliday Grainger. As villains, Cinderella’s step sisters were very entertaining in their vain but clueless nature. There’s not a moment I felt bored when the scene was involving these two.

Helena Bonham Carter, on the other hand, was the only character I think was a little bit ill suited. She performed the fairy god-mother in a very Bonham Carter way, which might mean to be playful, not your standard fairy god-mother way, but turned out a little bit uptight in the execution and I think missed just a little of original fairy god-mother’s gentle spirit.

But, I do love her white glittering gown XD Every magic moment the fairy created (with Disney CG’s help, of course), was very satisfactory.

I think I was fully enchanted by the time it was the first dance scene.

Cinderella’s blue ballgown appeared less impressive than the fairy’s gown at the beginning, but showed its full allure when Ella twirled around with the Prince.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eoh-X0FGmi0 …

There was no overly fancy dance move, but Cinderella was beautiful and the Prince was charming, the palace was luxuriant and the music’s enchanting, I was simply swept off my feet with every turn this sweet couple made. It was one of those ‘ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh… this is WHY I had wanted to watch this movie!’ blissful, mesmerizing kind of moments XD

Ella and the Prince looked absolutely adorable together. Their chemistry was excellent. Ella had this expression of wonder and unveiled delight when she talked to the Prince, while Prince ‘Kit’ made it clear he was very much enamored with Ella with his every gesture.

I think this movie never intent to be anything but to relive a classic faithfully. It is still cheesy, it is still not going to happen in real life, but if dream is enough, this is the kind of movie that’ll leave you feel warm and joyful afterward.

http://movies.disney.com/cinderella

Score: 8/10

So you can imagine my delight when I found that Kota Kasablanka is having a Cinderella carriage exhibition!

They even allow little kids to get on to the carriage and take picture inside, but of course I was too shy and age conscious to do the queue XD (gahhhh why am I not a five years old anymore why why! XD)

So picture from backside instead XD

With my uncooperative nephew

The famed glass slipper

Of course, I just have to wear my unstylish jeans and sweater uniform at that day.

They’re also having a Cinderella inspired ball gowns competition by aspiring designers!

Trying to pose like those cool fashun bloggers XD

I did regret my choice of outfits, but oh well. Last I was kind of dressed up for a movie was on December for “Interstellar” and “Doraemon”. But the two movies didn’t inspire me enough to write a review. So my clothes were pretty but the photos stayed in my hard disk… until now.

Now, if you’ll excuse my cam whore time.

At Kemang Village Mall for “Interstellar”.